NEWS
NORMAN, OKLA. – On Friday, Nov 22, representatives from Tulsa-based energy company Williams, board members of the University of Oklahoma Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy and leadership and students from OU’s Sustainable Energy Systems program task force gathered to celebrate the ribbon cutting and open house tours of the new Williams Office Suite for Sustainable Energy.
This transformative addition to Sarkeys Energy Center on the OU campus will serve as a hub for collaborative research, innovation and learning, enriching the experience of all students and fostering future energy leaders.
“Energy powers everything. And the reality is if you have this certificate and you’re in any one of the 16 colleges here, you are now more marketable and, importantly for us and society, you can make the work you do have more impact,” said University of Oklahoma President Joseph Harroz, Jr. at the event.
The first-class space, named for Williams’ generous donation to the office suite, spans two floors in the Sarkeys Energy Center, providing approximately 2,000 square feet of communal gathering and office space for students, faculty and staff in the program.
“At Williams, we're doing a lot of great things outside of natural gas with our new energy ventures. We’re really excited to have this program here and for the University of Oklahoma to add to the graduates’ river of opportunity that they have coming out of this great university,” Micheal Dunn, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Williams, in remarks at the event.
John Antonio, Ph.D., dean of the Mewbourne College of Earth and Energy, said the first floor will provide space for 15 sustainable energy systems postdoctoral fellows, doctoral students and undergraduate research assistants to conduct research and advance the body of knowledge and practice in the field. The second floor will house administrative staff and the inaugural director of the program.
More information about the program can be found at ou.edu/mcee/ses.
About the University of Oklahoma
Founded in 1890, the University of Oklahoma is a public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. As the state’s flagship university, OU serves the educational, cultural, economic and health care needs of the state, region and nation. For more information about the university, visit www.ou.edu.
A decade-long partnership between the University of Oklahoma and Southcentral Foundation, an Alaska Native-owned, nonprofit health care organization based in Anchorage, Alaska, has been awarded a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to grow and strengthen a research workforce serving American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities.
Soami Ellis, a recent OU graduate, has become the university’s first professional helicopter major to earn a CFI rating. This milestone is made possible through a recently established School of Aviation program made in partnership with Semper Fly Helicopters in Norman.
The University of Oklahoma is experiencing a period of transformation few institutions in higher education can match – but OU President Joseph Harroz Jr. says the university’s progress is less a finish line than a foundation for what comes next.
